Stealth
by Queen Ape
Summary: Stealth and the rest of her platoon are on a mission for the Brotherhood of Steel, radiation created dragon creatures need defeating.
1. Ashina

Stealth

All characters are mine, all the rest belong to the people at Fallout

~~~

Chapter One: Ashina

They descended from the mountains much like the White Death had descended from the sky. She'd never seen the white death personally but she'd heard the stories past on generation by generation. Stories of how the land first turned to wasteland and the horrors that followed.  

They shot pistols and threw spears, injuring the townsfolk on horses that were riding out to stop them.

        "Ashina! Come here, quickly!" She could hear her mother calling to her desperately but she couldn't take her eyes of the advancing men. She felt her mother lift her off the ground and run with her into the small stone building where her family slept night after night. She was then put down and her mother removed the cover to the small storage hole in the floor. She lowered her stunned child into the hole.

        "It's important to be as quiet as possible, and it's even more important that you try to be very brave. I'll be back for you, I promise." She said, tears running freely down her cheeks. The girl couldn't comprehend why her mother was crying so much. She did say she was coming back. 

        "I love you." Her mother said, replacing the grate and covering it up with the thin blankets they used to sleep on. It was damp and dark, the girl was afraid, but she was determined to be strong for her mother. It was silent for a short while; it wasn't long before she could here the sounds of heavy footsteps and unfamiliar voices. 

        "This entire village smells like sewerage." Footsteps approached the clutter of blankets, and their owner picked them up. 

        "Rancid! Even their beds smell. It's like they never heard of bathing before." The man dropped the blankets back down almost instantly, the girl's hiding place remaining undiscovered. During the brief moments she had been exposed, the girl had seen the face of the man who would haunt her dreams for decades. He had dark eyes, dark hair and a large scar that ran from under his right eye down over his cheek bone to just over his mouth. He was tall, dressed in black leather and had a large knife fastened to his belt. 

        They left soon after and once again the girl was met with silence. She was cold and alone, and even though her mother had told her to stay quiet, she couldn't stop herself. The little girl cried.


	2. Stealth

Stealth

All characters are mine, the highly dangerous Zeals are mine, all the rest belong to the people at Fallout

~~~

Chapter Two: Stealth

"They can't survive, they're too young. We could take them back with us and train them."

        "Attempts at training these animals usually fail rather than succeed."

        "You know, they could be radiated and poisoning us right now."

"Or this is wasting our time and we should just shoot them and get on our way." The first three platoon members turned to the fourth. 

"Stealth, I know there's a heart buried somewhere under that amour." 

"Not for as long as I can remember." Stealth responded. 

To platoon 011, Junior Paladin Stealth was a mystery. No one

knew her past or what motivated her, one could never see a trace of happiness in her features or any other emotion for that matter. She could easily be mistaken for some biomechanical robot who wore a constant scowl on her face. 

        Stealth herself did feel emotions; she just chose not to show it. The only people she was comfortable enough to show them to were her best friend and fellow squad member, Junior Paladin Geoffrey Leroy, and also Senior Scribe Almond Barron, who had raised her.

"What's the hold up?" Squad leader, Paladin Jackson asked, coming up to the four soldiers standing around. He spotted the litter of Zeal cubs and nodded. Zeals were around the top of the animal food chain in the wastelands. They were large dog like creatures, the size of horses. They had jaws that could crush a man's head, and were immune to most of the deadly poisons the other predatory creatures used as natural weapons.

        "Let me guess. Jenkins wants to bring them back to the base. Garson and Randal being the typical fence sitters don't know what to think and Stealth, wants to dispose of them." 

        Jenkins smiled. "You know us to well." It was generally frowned upon to have relationships within ranks of the Brotherhood of Steel, but Stealth really didn't care. As long as it didn't get in the way of efficiency. 

        "Your orders with the cubs, sir." Stealth said, interrupting the two warriors. 

        "Put them in the jeep." He said, and walked back to his station at the back of the convoy.


	3. Mission Statement

Stealth

All characters are mine, all the rest belong to the people at Fallout

~~~

Chapter Three: Mission Statement

Brotherhood of Steel Base Chackton was the only home Stealth had really ever known. She had been found by a squadron inspecting a village that had been attacked by a group of Raiders that had banded together. The Raiders had killed anyone they could find; taken anything of value and disappeared back to where they

had came from. Stealth was the only survivor the squadron had found, and she had only been found because her howling cries lead them to her. She was then taken to Base Chackton, and raised by one of the Scribes there, who was now the chief medical Scribe. Stealth could remember none of this; she couldn't remember anything before the age of eight. Her first memories were of stealing the knives from the quartermaster to hunt the rats on the Base with.

Stealth longed to see the man she thought of as her father, and on her platoons arrival at the base she went immediately to see him.

The infirmary was almost empty of patients, and Senior Scribe Barron wasn't busy. When he spotted her he opened his arms for a hug. 

        "I was beginning to worry you'd forgotten me Stealth." He said. Stealth wasn't a first name. Or a last name. It was her only name. She'd inherited it at the base, seen as no one knew the name she had been given at birth. At first Almond had fought the name, he thought she should have had a first and last name like everybody else, but it fit her, so he just let it be.

        "You talk like a fool old man." She said affectionately.

        "I here you put a request in to be transferred to Crowning Ranges. Could you get any further away?" He sighed. 

"I've lived at this base for twenty years. I think maybe I could use a change." Almond nodded.

"Yes, yes, you could be right. Have you slept yet? You look tired. You need rest." Stealth smiled and headed towards the dormitory.

* * * *

"Jackson, Leroy, Stealth, Jenkins, Randal and Garson. I have been requested to loan my best platoon to Crowning Ranges. The platoon that is being borrowed is platoon 011. Your mission is to travel to Crowning Ranges and investigate the disappearance of members of the surrounding community…"

        It had only been a week since their return at the base and the entire platoon was complaining about receiving a mission so soon. Aside from Stealth, who wasn't complaining for two reasons: One, she never complained about anything and two, she had wanted to go to Crowning Ranges anyway. This way she'd get to check it out first.

        They had been told to leave immediately, so they headed for the vehicle garage. 

Almond was waiting by the trucks.

"I heard you have to go." He said.

        "It's true, I may be a while." She responded. Stealth never could work out why he found out everything so quickly. 

Almond pulled out of his white jacket an old hunting knife.

        "One of the electricians found it hidden in the walls. I brought it for you for luck." He said giving it to Stealth. She remembered the day she'd hidden it there. She had been about ten and was pretending the base had been over run by hideous radiated monsters. She remembered hiding all sorts of weapons everywhere just incase the base really was overrun by hideous radiated monsters. She smiled at her oldest friend, said goodbye and climbed inside a truck.


	4. Awning

Stealth

All that is mine is, all that isn't mine isn't. 

~~~

Chapter Four: Awning

It took a week to reach their destination and not surprisingly during that time Leroy took it upon himself to find out what it was that Almond had given Stealth.

"You know, most of the platoon thinks he gave you steroids." He asked her one night. Stealth was confused. 

"Who gave me steroids?"

"The doc." 

Stealth rolled her eyes.

"He did not give me steroids."

Leroy had already known that of course, the chief medical officer would never give anyone steroids, yet he wasn't going to be deterred by his friend's abrupt behavour. 

"So, what did he give you then?" He queried.

"A loved childhood toy." She answered him, showing him the hunting knife. Leroy shook his head.

"No wonder you are the way you are." He muttered, and walked off.

* * * *

CW Base Crowning Ranges was a disappointment to Stealth, it was far more relaxed compared to Chakton. She found herself picking at how the base was operated, disapproving the over all lower efficiency output and wishing she could leave already. Naturally the rest of the platoon welcomed the refreshing change and hoped they would have some time before they had to commence their mission.

This wasn't to be so.

They were to travel to the latest abduction site as soon as humanly possible.

The site was a small village called Awning at the base of the mountains the CW Base was named after, about half a day away. Everyone had gone missing, except for a small group who had gone out to catch some lizards for food and weren't in the perimeter of the village when the abductions were to have taken place. When platoon 011 had arrived in the ghost town, they had been ushered into a long stone building, which was identified as the town hall, by the remainders. There were four of them, unwashed and in tattered clothing, typical poor villagers. Their elected leader, Andy, told their story.

"We were finding food. Then Barnaby here," The man motioned towards Barnaby with his thumb. "Barnaby reckoned he could see something fishy with Awning. So we all strained our eyes and sure enough we all reckoned we could see these huge creatures flying about the village. There was at least thirty. Some were swooping down real low like, but most were circling around and around in the sky. We ran back towards home but before we got much closer all the creatures dived at once and then took off to the mountains."

"I see," Jackson said at last. "Can I get your names please?"

"Andy, Barnaby, Joney, Andrew and Texan." Andy said, counting each name off his fingers.

"Wait, that's five names and four of you. Where's the last man?" Jackson asked.

"Texan's in the back room looking after Old Verne." Barnaby responded. "Old Verne was the only survivor we found here. We found him after we sent Joney to tell you guys at your base about the attack. He likes to hide in other people's beds for some reason, raving mad he is. He came to us well over about thirty years ago with a group of children. They all eventually died, and Old Verne mutated. He isn't a pretty sight. Some people wanted to shoot him, but most said he didn't do no harm to nobody and to leave him be."

The concept of mutation sent a shiver down every member of the platoon's spine. 

"Nothing around here made him mutate I hope…?" Garson inquired. Andy shook his head.

"Nah. The whole lot of 'em came from the mountains. What ever it was that killed them kids and mutated Old Verne was in them mountains." With the threat of possible radiation contamination over, the platoon relaxed. 

"I think you better show us to Verne." Jackson said, and Andy led the way to a room at the back of the hall.

  



	5. Old Verne

Chapter Five: Old Verne

Old Verne was indeed no pretty site. His skin was leathery - a moldy green colour, his hair was falling out, he'd lost most of his teeth and one of his eyes, his ribs were protruding through his chest and the digits on his hands seemed more like pointed green claws than fingers. He was facing the wall when the platoon entered the room but he quickly spun around when he was addressed by Jackson.

"Verne?"

"Nomaname!" Verne announced. Andy explained.

"No one knows his real name, he's never told us, so we just call him Verne, because everyone needs a name and all."

"What happened here?" Jackson tried.

"I remember the little ones in the mountains. Never so many. Only small. Never so many. These ones big. They not see me. I hide in blankets." Verne stared at Jackson earnestly with his single blue eye. Then as if realizing for the first time that Jackson hadn't came alone, his eye scanned over the rest of the platoon. It rested on Stealth. He walked towards her then, his arms outstretched.

"Ashina! You're just like your mother, only she didn't look so mean." The other platoon members sniggered, Stealth was unimpressed. Unfortunately for her Verne wasn't finished.

"Tried to get back but the Raiders blocked our path. I saw your mother get taken. I saw your father get killed. I wanted to come back for you and get you out of that hole in the ground." The platoon kept laughing, not noticing how upset stealth actually was; they didn't know the fool's mutterings actually made sense. She felt like she'd just received a hard smack in the face, she had to get out of there. So she did. She strode out of the tiny room, back through the hall and outside.

Once outside and in the burning heat Stealth found she couldn't bear to be under the gaze of the forever watchful sun. She ran into a neighboring building and slumped against the wall. Did this mean that her name was actually Ashina? Was Verne there when the pillagers attacked? How else could he know? Stealth gripped her head in her hands. She had developed a pounding headache.

----------------

"Twenty-three men, women and children missing, even the two dogs that lived here." Jackson was thinking out loud. The five platoon members were standing around outside trying to get their heads around what they had learnt. They had left because Verne's stench was beginning to become nauseating.

"Do you think those…beasts…could have eaten them all?" Jenkins asked the squad leader, who shook his head.

"No. There would be traces of blood around and it seems more like everyone just got up and left."

"It's around the same number of beasts to villagers. You think they carried them off?" Randal asked.

"Maybe, but, why wasn't Verne taken as well?" Replied Jackson.

"He sure doesn't look too appetizing. Or healthy. His mutation may be a factor." Garson put forward.

"Or maybe they couldn't find him. Those blankets could out smell even Verne. Why did Stealth leave anyway?" Jenkins asked.

"She needs her head read if she lets some demented mutant disturb her like that." Randal scoffed. Leroy wasn't impressed with Randal's remark.

"Show some respect and besides, for all we know she might actually know this Verne fool," Leroy said. "Though she should be back now."

"I am." Said Stealth, coming up behind them. No one asked her why she had left. She wouldn't have told them anyway.

"We've developed a way for you to trek up the Crowning Ranges." Senior Scribe Schwartz, one of the leading scientists of the Brotherhood, announced.

----------------

"You make it sound like a simple walk in the park, Schwartz." Randal mused, at which Leroy joked:

"How do you know it isn't? Have you walked through a park lately?" His joke went down well at the table, everyone laughed.

Another thing which Stealth found she didn't like. The General was sitting at the head of the table, and instead of bringing the briefing back to order, he allowed the laughter to run its course. Stealth alone seemed to see that there was a time and a place for everything, and a serious briefing was no time for witticisms. Perhaps they were just nervous about the challenge they were about to face, but what ever it was, she knew this behaviour would not be tolerated at Chackton.

"We have devised a suit lined with lead that protects your body from the radiation." Schwartz started up again, asking for the room's attention. "It covers your entire body; you breathe through this mask that purifies the air. They're a sandy colour to act as camouflage against the mountain terrain. They can withstand the radiation assault for about three days, and then the lead seems to weaken and break down." One Schwartz's assistants, who had been standing behind him the whole time, stepped forward and placed the lead suit on the table.

"Can I ask if one of you would like to demonstrate how it looks on?" Schwartz queried, and Leroy immediately took up the offer. When he was wearing it, the others seated at the table noticed it seemed twice as big as Leroy himself and rather hard to walk in.

"We have concluded that lead is actually harmful if exposed to for a long period of time so we have made the suit bigger so it hangs off the body and contact is reduced. There is plenty of room for amour underneath though."

"Armor?! I can barely wear this suit with out toppling over!" Leroy remarked, his voice slightly distorted through the mask.

"It would seem that your lead suits are hazardous, cumbersome, and too frail against the onslaught of radiation we face. Overall a genuine nuisance. It would be far too dangerous for us to venture up the Crowning Ranges wearing these. We would be ill equipped to stand up against any hostile life we may encounter, let alone thirty mystery beasts."

"As inefficient as these suits may be," the General started, "they are the only defenses we have against the mountains. You have three days to find out all you can about these mysterious creatures and come back, nothing more until we know more about what we're up against. Dismissed."


End file.
